Like everyone else on the planet, I start craving pumpkin bread around this time. I’m not as pumpkin crazy as some people out there, but a good slice of moist pumpkin bread really hits the spot. The smell of that crisp fall air combined with the aroma of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon pouring out of your oven are down right intoxicating. That’s why I always bypass the pre-made stuff at the grocery and opt for the homemade version. It’s also how I justify the calories. If I went through aalll the trouble of making it myself, I deserve a slice, or five, right? I think so.
Did you notice the beautiful fall leaves and natural outdoor lighting? I had the pleasure of baking this bread at my friend, Courtney’s, house in Westchester. It was such a tease. Getting to bake in a beautiful, large kitchen with a bounty of natural lighting is a city bloggers dream. There is only one small corner in my apartment that gets adequate lighting, and my oven door doesn’t even open all the way… It hits a wall about 3/4 of the way down. Needless to say we’ve had an oven disaster or two, but fortunately no dramatic burns as of now….
The trick to moist pumpkin bread, or any quick bread for that matter, is wrapping it in aluminum foil. I didn’t think it would make that much of a difference at first, but it really does. It also helps to make the bread a day or two in advance and let it sit. It keeps getting better over time.
This recipe is adapted from Tasty Kitchen. The original recipe makes 3 loaves, but I made 2, and baked it for longer.
- 3⅓ cups all purpose flour
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ T baking powder
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease two loaf pans with butter or nonstick cooking spray (no need to flour).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil and water.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Pour equal amounts of the batter into the loaf pans.
- Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out dry. (Make sure it comes out dry. If not, the loaf with collapse slightly in the center. I baked my loaves separately to see if there was a difference in moisture depending on baking time. In the end they were both equally moist. However, the one photographed was fully baked and had a nice domed top whereas the second was slightly wet at the top and caved in.)
- Let the bread cool completely and then wrap in aluminum foil. Let rest overnight and refrigerate after 2 days.
In the pumpkin mood? Try this delicious Pumpkin Pie Smoothie for a refreshing twist on your favorite fall flavor. 
or this healthy Pumpkin Granola
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